# US 2018/0022182 A1 · Autonomous-vehicle climate-control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022182 A1 - Document ID: US20180022182A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/214,496 - Filed: 2016-07-20 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Kenneth James Miller; Thomas G. Leone; Christopher Alan Lear; Chris James Hocking - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022182A1 ## CPC - B60H 1/00742: {by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors} - B60H 1/00064: {for sending air streams of different temperatures into the passenger compartment} - B60H 1/00357: {Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles} - B60H 1/00778: {the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping} - B60H 1/00878: {the components being temperature regulating devices} - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES ## Abstract Controlling a vehicle includes determining that an occupancy status of the vehicle is unoccupied, estimating a remaining unoccupied time, and controlling a climate-control system according to climate-control parameters based on at least the occupancy status and the remaining unoccupied time. A climate-control parameter is a value or set of values for an attribute or attributes of vehicle climate control, such as a power status for the climate-control system as a whole, a target temperature for a passenger cabin, power statuses corresponding to individual climate zones of the passenger cabin, and target temperatures for the individual climate zones. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a vehicle comprising: determining that an occupancy status of the vehicle is unoccupied; estimating a remaining unoccupied time; and controlling a climate-control system according to climate-control parameters based on at least the occupancy status and the remaining unoccupied time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the climate-control system includes setting a power status to off if the occupancy status is unoccupied and the remaining unoccupied time exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the climate-control system includes setting a power status to on if the occupancy status is unoccupied and the remaining unoccupied time is below a predetermined threshold, while an engine of the vehicle is off. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the climate-control system includes setting a target temperature to a first target temperature if the occupancy status is occupied, and setting the target temperature to a second target temperature if the occupancy status is unoccupied and the remaining unoccupied time exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the second target temperature is closer to an environmental temperature than the first target temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the climate-control parameters include power statuses each corresponding to a climate zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising setting power statuses to on for all climate zones having at least one occupant and setting power statuses to off for all climate zones lacking occupants. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the climate-control parameters include target temperatures each corresponding to a climate zone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising setting target temperatures to a first target temperature for all climate zones having at least one occupant and setting target temperatures to a second target temperature for all climate zones lacking occupants, wherein the second target temperature is closer to an environmental temperature than the first target temperature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the climate-control parameters include power levels each corresponding to a climate zone. ### Claim 10 A method of controlling a vehicle comprising: controlling a climate control system according to climate control parameters based on at least an occupancy status and a remaining unoccupied time. ### Claim 11 A controller comprising a processor and a memory for a vehicle including a climate-control system, the controller programmed to: determine that an occupancy status of the vehicle is unoccupied; estimate a remaining unoccupied time; and control the climate-control system according to climate-control parameters based on at least the occupancy status and the remaining unoccupied time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein programming to control the climate-control system includes programming to set a power status to off if the occupancy status is unoccupied and the remaining unoccupied time exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein programming to control the climate-control system includes programming to set a power status to on if the occupancy status is unoccupied and the remaining unoccupied time is below a predetermined threshold, while an engine of the vehicle is off. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein programming to control the climate-control system includes programming to set a target temperature to a first target temperature if the occupancy status is occupied, and set the target temperature to a second target temperature if the occupancy status is unoccupied and the remaining unoccupied time exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the second target temperature is closer to an environmental temperature than the first target temperature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein the climate-control parameters include power statuses each corresponding to a climate zone. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is further programmed to set power statuses to on for all climate zones having at least one occupant and setting power statuses to off for all climate zones lacking occupants. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein the climate-control parameters include target temperatures each corresponding to a climate zone. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller is further programmed to set target temperatures to a first target temperature for all climate zones having at least one occupant and set target temperatures to a second target temperature for all climate zones lacking occupants, wherein the second target temperature is closer to an environmental temperature than the first target temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The controller of claim 11, wherein the climate-control parameters include power levels each corresponding to a climate zone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further programmed to set power levels to a first power level for all climate zones having at least one occupant and set power levels to a second power level for all climate zones lacking occupants, wherein the first power level is higher than the second power level.